Winners of the 19th SCHLINGEL announced

# Record in visitor numbers: Festival attracts more than 15,500 spectators

# Prizes for international productions go to Finland, India and Norway

# The ceremonial prize-giving on Saturday evening was the highlight of the International Film Festival for Children and Young Audience SCHLINGEL. During the one-week festival, ten juries were spoilt for choice having to appointment their favourite films. All together, 13 prizes worth overall about 35,000 Euros were awarded. For the 19th edition of film festival SCHLINGEL 136 productions from 50 countries were screened.

S | Children’s Film Competition

The European Children’s Jury, consisting of sixteen pupils from eight European countries (e.g. Denmark, France, Sweden or Hungary) gives the European Children’s Film Award of the Saxony State Minister of Science and the Arts (5,000 €), advertised by the Saxon Ministry of Science and the Arts the “European Children’s Film Award”, to:

Explanation: The movie we chose is an enjoyable family film for young and old. With all sorts of funny costume activities the amiable actor made us always laugh. We further considered the soundtrack as very suitable. Overall, the film shows how important family, friends and solidarity are.

Explanation: The best child actor is a boy who has impressed us from the beginning with his funny and cool attitude. Particularly fascinating was his authentic representation as well as his inventiveness to chase away all potential father figures.

Explanation: The Norwegian children’s film “Karsten og Petra på vinterferie“ believably and imaginatively tells a great story of friendship which clearly focuses on an audience of younger children and addresses them perfectly. Nevertheless, the remarkable ensemble of characters with Casper’s pubescent sister and Emma’s both dreamy and strong-willed but also affectionate grandparents does not exclude older children and offers lots of fun for the whole family. With an eye for fond filmic elements and great attention to details, such as the cuddly toys Lion Cub and Miss Rabbit, director Arne Lindtner Næss never loses sight of the two main characters Casper and Emma and always takes them seriously in their thinking and doing. Especially the character of Casper, who is afraid his parents are getting divorced, is undergoing a development which resembles the live of younger children. The film empowers children to deal with setbacks, encourages them to find out about their own strengths and weaknesses, to always look ahead and, above all, to invest into the power of friendship.

The Professional Jury Feature Film International awards as well the Top Award of the Department of Private Broadcast and New Media of the Free State of Saxony SLM (4,000 Euros) for the best Junior Film to:

“Counting Dreams“ India / 2014 Direction: Amole Gupte

Explanation: The movie is a fairy tale in a tough, hyper-real world and breaks through our European minted habits of seeing and emotional borders and moves us deeply. COUNTING DREAMS is an overwhelming movie, which brought us joy, surprised us and made us think. But most of all it touched us very much emotionally.

Explanation: We have been particularly impressed by the movie that tells a story about a boy in difficult circumstances. He learns to take responsibility for himself and his mother. The movie shows us the importance of responsibility, respect, solidarity and friendship.

L | Youth Film Competition

The 5-member Youth Jury awards the Youth Film Award (1,000 Euros) to:

“Han Gong-ju“ South Korea / 2013 Direction: Lee Su-jin

Explanation: The mass rape of minors, an actual taboo, is reflected in its fascinating complexness from the view of the victim Han Gong-ju. She barely gets support by her parents or the justice and is forced to get along in a new environment, but she is constantly overtaken by her past. Due to the diverse connections, which at the end of the film form an overall picture, we have the inner desire to see this film again.

Special mention: “The Excursionist“ (Audrius Juzénas, Lithuania 2013)

D | Focus Germany

The DEFA Foundation Award (4,000 Euros) goes to:

“Zurich“ Germany / 2013 Direction: Frederik Steiner

Explanation: The DEFA Foundation awards a movie which is dedicated to a topic minted by taboos in our society. This movie admits to controlled dying, to the chance of self-determination until death. It is a movie about pain and torture, but also about love and letting go. It’s a drama of tragic profoundness, full of humanity; a plea to freedom of the individual. Moreover, it is important to mention the outstanding performance of the actors, above all that of young Liv Lisa Fries.

For the third time, the Goethe-Institut awards a feature film of the category Focus Germany with the Youth and Children’s Film Award of the Goethe-Institut. The prize goes to:

“The Pasta Detectives“ Germany 2014 Direction: Neele Leana Vollmar

Explanation: Humorous, authentic, human and enthralling till the end – the story about a friendship of two Berlin boys, which could not be more opposed, shows us how informal German cinema can work without being icky. With his prize-winning children’s book Andreas Steinhöfel provided the basis for Neele Leana Vollmar’s adaptation and filmic accomplishment: Children in an adventurous pursuit of criminals, within an authentic social surrounding. Due to the convincing choice of the supporting actors and the scene Dieffenbacherstraße 93, this production is a coherent film experience. Aesthetics, dialogue, camera and editing – the package of the movie makes it a worthy prize winner of the Goethe Award 2014. The award is combined with the purchase of the movie and also its worldwide transmission through the Goethe-Institut.

XS | Short- and Animation Film Competition

The 3-member Professional Jury Short and Animated Film awards the Short and Animation Film Award (500 Euros, in cooperation with the Saxon Film Federation):

“Looks“ Germany / 2014 Director: Susann Hoffmann

Explanation: An animalistic story which tells a lot about human behaviour. About finding friends and how a friendship works. It shows that humans are not equal but that these differences create the fascination. The complexity of the human relations is made visible only by using light ink lines and a minimum of aid.

Further Awards

The ECFA Award of the European Children’s Film Association goes to:

“Girlhood“ France / 2014 Director: Céline Sciamma

Explanation: We award the prize to a film that challenges stereotypes, allowing an insight to an area and culture previously known to us mostly through the eyes of male characters. Our female protagonist constantly surprises us by the choices she makes and her mental and physical transformations. As in her previous works the director provides strong female role models and explores the burdens of gender. This film offers and empowers experience to audiences of all ages. The cinematography makes us feel like we are part of the gang, intimate and beautiful. With its contemporary, powerful and uplifting soundtrack it takes us on a roller-coaster through the lives of four black girls in the outskirts of Paris.

For the second time in the festival’s history the FIPRESCI Jury awards the International Critics Prize. The award goes to:

“Behaviour“ Cuba / 2014 Director: Ernesto Daranas Serrano

Explanation: Our choice for the 2014 International Critics Prize goes to an outstanding story that is so real, so raw, so true and authentic; portraying the characters we came to know and love, who struggle to survive on a daily basis. Therefore we award the Cuban film “Conducta”, “Behaviour” by director Ernesto Daranas Serrano, and the entire magnificent ensemble cast.”

The Lichtenauer Audience Award of the Lichtenauer Mineralquellen GmbH, awarded by the audience during the festival, goes to:

“Do Not Forget Me“ Usbekistan / 2013 Director: Kamara Kamalova

The students of the Matthes-Enderlein-Gymnasium in Zwönitz, Saxony award the Fair Play Award for extraordinary social commitment to youth problems:

“One Night in Oslo“ Norway / 2014 Director: Eirik Svensson

Explanation: The Fair Play Jury awards the film which takes up the problems of adolescents and authentically pictures them, a film which raises questions and has us think about our own behaviour and shows us how to live our lives – or perhaps not. We think Eirik Svensson’s “One night in Oslo” realizes these criteria best of all the films we have seen. It is the story of Sam and Amir’s friendship, which has to overcome numerous obstacles and is thus seriously tested. We came to see that friendship does not mean blind obedience but that it is rather based on honesty, even if the truth may hurt. To us, Amir’s behaviour was not difficult to understand. Would you accept your best friend dating your ex girlfriend whom you still love? I would simply lose it! I would love to have a friend like Sam who always stands by me, who defends me and who cares about how I feel. Although the events on the eve of the Norwegian National Holiday, i.e. Thea’s party, seem slightly exaggerated to us, we know of course that here, too, young people are getting drunk to the point where they can hardly think anymore. The film brings up a lot of issues and raises questions. We all must find our own answers as how to live our lives, and so the winner of the 19th SCHLINGEL’s Fair Play Award is “One night in Oslo”.

The Ehrenschlingel was awarded to the director Arend Agthe for his achievement in the area of children’s and youth films in Germany. After studying Dramatics and German Philology in Marburg and Frankfurt-on-Main, Arend Agthe realised numerous satirical short films in the context of “Gruppe Arnold Hau”. As an “advanced short film maker” he joined children’s television working for “Sesame Street”, the NDR “Sandmännchen” and the “Löwenzahn” television series (since 1979). In 1983 he made his first feature film for a young audience: “Hen in a Boat”, which involves four confident, freedom-loving children and a hen in a chase by boat. Making dreams come true, trying out skills, going to the limits, overcome difficult situations and grow with the challenges – these topics are recurring in his films, such as “A Chick for Kairo” (1985 ), “The Summer of the Falcon” (1987 ) or “Karakum” (1993). After that, for about 20 years he mainly worked for adult audiences. But what is he doing in the autumn of 2014? Arend Agthe is very busy with the post-production of his new children’s film "Rettet Raffi“, which certainly is going to offer the young audience another exciting movie adventure.